


Crown Prince Gays

by PatronGoddessOfAngst



Category: Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Aromantic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Fantasy AU, Logince - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Other, Platonic Moxiety, Queerplatonic Relationships, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, coffee shop AU, dukeceit, its 11:54 and I gotta hurry to format so that’s all, remile - Freeform, technically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21858151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatronGoddessOfAngst/pseuds/PatronGoddessOfAngst
Summary: “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”Roman stood in front of the mirror wearing his most princely attire, yet he couldn’t even look himself in the eyes.A voice in his head whispered to him. Do you really think that you could be a better king than Remus?“No,” he whispered, tearing off his sash and throwing it to the ground. “No I don’t.”Then do something about it.So he did.
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Creativity | Roman “Princey” Sanders, Sleep | Remy Sanders/Dr. Emile Picani
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6
Collections: Sanders Sides Secret Santa 2019





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”

Roman stood in front of the mirror wearing his most princely attire, yet he couldn’t even look himself in the eyes.

A voice in his head whispered to him.  _ Do you really think that you could be a better king than Remus? _

“No,” he whispered, tearing off his sash and throwing it to the ground. “No I don’t.”

_ Then do something about it. _

So he did.

He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and pulled it off. Without so much as a second thought, he swapped his entire royal outfit for a dark shirt and pants, covered by a dark red cloak.

As he glanced briefly at his muted red sash, which was still laying on the floor, he cursed. He loved that sash. It was his only connection to his brother, after all.

Impulsively, he grabbed his pair of crafting scissors and cut directly through the crimson fabric.

_ There _ , he thought, wrapping it around his neck like a scarf.  _ That way it won’t be so recognizably royal. _

_ Now… I guess I go. _

He forced himself to push through the door and down the hall, taking care to hide his face under his cloak.

Unfortunately, that hindered his vision just enough for him to run face-first into—

“Ouch.”

“Ah, sorry,” Roman mumbled.

The boy he had run into- a tall and lanky scribe, it appeared, clad in dark blue robes- quickly regained his composure. “It’s quite alright.”

Roman flushed as he absentmindedly brushed off his shoulder.

The boy— who suddenly seemed strangely familiar— continued. “You seem to be in a bit of a hurry. Might I ask on what business?”

Roman internally cursed. What excuse did he have?

“Um,” he said after a moment. “It’s a bit personal. Do you need to know?”

The boy studied him for a moment from behind a pair of blue-tinted steampunk goggles.

“Oh, no, of course not, sorry,” he said quickly, shifting his weight onto his other foot. “It’s just… you wouldn’t by any chance be leaving the castle, would you?”

Roman flinched tellingly, and the boy’s face lit up.

“Perfect. I’ve needed a way out of here.”

Seeing Roman’s face, the boy hurried on to explain himself.

“Not forever! Just for the weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a part of the royal court, I swear, it’s just… I still want to have  _ some _ time to myself. Do you think it would be alright if I accompanied you?”

“I- sure,” Roman said hastily.

The boy smiled. “Thank you. What was your name?”

Roman panicked. “R…em…y. My name is Remy.”

“Are you by any chance related to the witch with the apothecary outside of town? Their name is Remy, too.”

“Uh, no,” Roman said weakly. “Common name, I guess.”

“Ah. Well, I’m Logan. Logan Berry.”

Roman chuckled. “Like the jam?”

“Yes, actually. My mother was craving it when she named me.”

“Pfft, like in  _ Rapunzel _ ?”

Logan bit back a smile. “Yes, I suppose it was a  _ bit _ like in  _ Rapunzel _ .”

__

As soon as they got out of the castle, Roman was prepared to ditch the other boy, but Logan cleared his throat ceremoniously.

“Thank you for, uh, helping me out of there. Do you… would you be interested in grabbing some food?”

Roman paled. “Grabbing… food?”

Logan nodded and pushed his goggles up into his hair, exposing his forehead by extent.

The smudged ink on Logan’s face, his naturally pouty expression, and his deep blue eyes reminded Roman that he was very, very,  _ very _ gay, and that Logan was very, very,  _ very _ cute.

Roman felt his breath hitch in his throat. “Like… a date?” he asked meekly.

Logan flushed. “I mean… if you wanted?”

Roman nodded quickly. “Sure. Yeah. Let’s go grab some food. Did you have any place in mind?”

With a grin, Logan took Roman’s hand. “Yes.”

For a moment, Roman thought Logan was just holding his hand- the thought of which made him a little  _ too _ giddy for his own sake

As it turned out, though, Logan had grabbed his hand so that he could cast a spell on the both of them.

Roman blinked in confusion, and when he opened his eyes again, they were standing in front of the counter at a bakery.

The boy behind the counter, no older than either of them- seventeen, maybe?- wore a light blue apron over his gray cardigan, and a pair of goggles that were nearly identical to Logan’s.

He looked back and forth between the two of them.

“You two must have been friends of mine, then?” he asked wistfully.

Logan smiled softly. “I _ am _ a friend of yours. My name is Logan.”

Patton glanced at his arm, and, sure enough, there was the name “Logan” marked on his wrist. He flashed a smile, then looked to Roman. “And have I met you before?”

Roman glanced at Logan, who nodded encouragingly.

“Uh, no. I’ve not been here before.”

Patton grinned from ear to ear. “It’s been so long since I’ve met someone new! It’s nice to meet you… kiddo.”

“Remy,” Logan supplied. Roman cringed. He should’ve gone with something… not so similar to ‘Remus.’

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Remy. A friend of Logan’s is a friend of mine, so feel free to make yourself at home around here. Now, what can I get you two?”

Logan went ahead and ordered first, getting a cinnamon roll and a tea.

Roman wasn’t familiar with the menu, so he vaguely pointed at one of the pastries- he later learned it was called a bear claw- and asked for a hot chocolate.

They sat down at a table in the corner, and Logan eyed Roman up and down.

“See something you like?” Roman asked curiously.

Logan quickly looked away, his face red. “No,” he retorted defensively. “Why?”

Roman scoffed. “Sure, Logan. You’re  _ totally _ looking at me like  _ that _ and  _ not _ liking what you see.”

“Hmph. It’s almost like you  _ want _ me to like what I see.”

“Psh, I’m just stating the obvious.”

It was quiet for a second before Roman changed the subject.

“So… what’s up with that baker kid?”

Logan raised his eyebrow. “You mean Patton?”

“Yeah.”

With a sigh, Logan drummed his fingers on the table. “Patton was cursed a few years ago, by some vengeful witch or some other shithead. He can’t leave the bakery, and whenever someone he loves leaves the bakery, he forgets them. It’s been really rough on him. His friends, too. Most of them left and never looked back.”

Roman stared open-mouthed. “Why the hell would they do that?”

“Sometimes it’s easier to move on than to keep coming back,” Logan tried to explain. “Most of the time it’s healthier, and better. In this case, though… in this case, let me just say that I personally will  _ never _ stop coming back. In fact, I plan to break his curse. That’s part of the reason I’m studying to become a mage.”

Logan’s naturally pouty expression was gone; in its place was a murderously determined look.

Something in Roman stirred, and the longer he looked at Logan, the more he felt his face heat up.

“I… that’s a lot to deal with,” he said, quickly looking away.

Logan nodded in agreement. “Yes. It is.”

His fingers suddenly stopped drumming on the table, and he glanced around.

“Is everything okay?” Roman asked carefully.

Logan ignored him for the moment, instead staring at a spot next to the table. “Hey, Virgil.”

Roman frowned. There was no one there.

Or was there?

He squinted and looked again. Suddenly, he realized that there was, in fact, another boy standing there.

_ How on earth did I miss him? It’s like my eyes just skipped over him or something… _

“Who’s this?” Virgil asked, gesturing not-so-subtly at Roman.

“Excuse me,” Roman huffed. “I can introduce  _ myself _ , thank you very much.”

Virgil paled, which was impressive, considering his already-pallid skin.

“You heard me?” he asked, in a voice that was a mixture between excited and downright horrified.

Roman frowned. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be able to hear you?”

“Most people can’t.”

That was hardly an explanation. Luckily, Logan picked up where Virgil left off.

“Patton’s not the only one here who’s cursed. Virgil can’t usually be noticed unless you know what- or  _ who _ \- to look for.”

Roman nodded slowly. “I just… looked where Logan was looking and squinted a bit. It wasn’t too hard.”

Virgil ran his hand through his hair, clearly nervous. “Maybe the curse is wearing off? Or not. I doubt it is. I don’t know… maybe this is how—”

Roman cut off his anxious rambling before it could get too bad. “Well. It’s nice to meet you, Vampiric Nightmare.”

Virgil frowned thoughtfully. “Vampiric- is this because I’m pale?”

“Maybe,” Roman hummed.

Logan cleared his throat. “Virgil, I believe you asked who he is. This is Remy— no, he’s not related to witch Remy— but he let me accompany him out of the castle. So I brought him here for…”

He glanced at Roman, whose face was already as red as a beet. Logan smirked, knowing that he couldn’t resist the opportunity to make him even redder.

“… I brought him here for a  _ date _ . Isn’t that right, Rem?”

Roman nodded quickly. “Yep. A date. With Logan. Eating food.”

Virgil’s lips twisted into a smug grin. “In that case, I won’t bother you two,” he promised. “But, Remy, if I find out you hurt Logan in  _ any _ way…”

“I would never!” Roman protested.

“Tsk tsk,” Virgil muttered threateningly, “I should hope not.”

With that, he turned and left, back to the kitchen.

Logan sighed. “Sorry about him. I doubt you would be capable of hurting me, regardless. I have been told I possess remarkably thick skin.”

Roman leaned forward and tenderly brushed his hand across Logan’s cheek.

“Doesn’t feel very thick to me…” he mumbled.

He could almost hear Remus’s voice in his head, saying,  _ “Maybe you’re just feeling the wrong cheek!” _

Roman grimaced sadly. Remus had always loved dirty jokes, and it suddenly felt  _ incredibly _ unfair that Remus wasn’t  _ right _ there with him at this  _ exact _ moment.

At first, Logan tried not to laugh— but then he noticed the way Roman’s eyes were glazed and distracted, the way his lips were trembling— and he didn’t even have to try.

“Remy, are you alright?” he asked, gently taking Roman’s hand in his own.

“Yeah, I’m- I’m fine. I just… I miss my brother.”

Admitting it out loud made it a thousand times more real, and Roman couldn’t stop the tears that began to flow down his face.

Logan stood up and came around to the other side of the table. He sat down next to Roman and wrapped his arm around the young prince.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked after a while.

At first, Roman didn’t answer, so Logan didn’t press. Instead, he remained silently by Roman’s side, intermittently squeezing his hand to remind him that he wasn’t alone.

“We were twins,” Roman said after a while. “He and I… we went everywhere together. He was my best friend. My only friend, for a while.”

Logan pursed his lips, and Roman felt a weight lifted off his chest as he realized that Logan was  _ listening _ .

“My parents separated us a couple years ago. I haven’t seen him since, but sometimes… sometimes he and I sneak letters to one another through a friend. Sometimes I can even hear his voice in my head.”

He paused as he realized how that last sentence came off without context.

“In the magic way,” he clarified, “not the hallucinatory grieving way.”

Logan chuckled, but even  _ that _ held a heavy weight to it. “I figured as much.”

“That’s… well, that’s actually the reason I was leaving the castle,” Roman admitted.

“Because of your brother?”

“Yes,” Roman sighed. “Because of my brother.”

He left it at that, and Logan knew better than to keep asking.

“My apologies, Remy. Is there any way I can help?”

Roman threw his hands up. “I don’t know. You don’t by any chance know how to fake a death, do you?”

Letting out a soft gasp, Logan tightened his grip on Roman’s hand. “I… actually might be able to help.”


	2. Chapter 2

Logan began telling Roman about Remy- “The _other_ Remy,” he added, in case it wasn’t clear. “The _witch_ Remy. The one in the forest, with the apothecary—”

“Yeah, I got it, Logan,” Roman said fondly. Logan’s rambling was incredibly cute, but Roman was fidgety enough just knowing that the _possibility_ of seeing his brother soon was real, and no longer just a dream or a wish.

“How can Remy help?” he asked.

“They’re a witch,” Logan said, as if that cleared everything up.

Roman decided to go with it. “Alright.”

”How soon can we get their help?”

Logan squinted for a moment. “If we hurry, we can get to them before nightfall. I’m not sure how long it will take from there.”

Roman felt his heart soar. “I can’t believe it,” he whispered. “I’m finally going to see him again.”

Logan smiled in spite of himself. A little voice in his head insisted that he didn’t let Roman grow too hopeful, just in case reality came back swinging, but he quickly silenced it. Roman needed this, and Logan sure as hell was going to do his absolute best to make it happen.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “You are.”

__

Before they could leave, Logan went to tell Patton and Virgil about their plan.

“We’re going to head out to visit Remy— witch Remy, not this Remy— so that Remy— this Remy, not witch Remy— can see his brother again.”

Patton nodded slowly, a few tears forming in his eyes. Logan put his hand on Patton’s shoulder.

“I’ll be back, Pat. I promise.”

Between sniffles, Patton sighed. “I know, I just… you _just_ came back. I don’t want to forget you already.”

“I know,” Logan said softly. ”I’m sorry. I swear, I’m going to figure out a way to break your curse. Soon.”

Again, Patton nodded. Logan pulled him into a quick hug, the kind that said more than words could, then followed Roman to the door.

“I’ll see you soon, Patton,” he called.

Patton forced himself to smile softly. “Goodbye, again, Logan.”

As he stepped out of the bakery door, Logan put his goggles back on and refused to look back. He knew what he would see, anyway.

Patton would be turning to Virgil, confused as to why there were tears streaming down his face, and Virgil would turn away to hide the heartbreak in his eyes. Eventually, Virgil would tell Patton about Logan again. He would describe the way his intelligent words flowed smoothly, his endearing habit of wrinkling his nose when he was deep in thought, and the way he almost seemed to radiate support and structure.

Patton would then miss someone he never really knew, and wait for days, or weeks, sometimes even months, until Logan would return, and the cycle would start all over again.

No, Logan wouldn’t look back; the sight would only torment him.

He kept his eyes focused straight ahead, but Roman noticed that, even through the goggles, there were tears in his eyes.

“You didn’t have to leave,” Roman said after a while.

Logan shook his head. “I always do, eventually. It’s… well, it’s not alright, but I’ll _make_ things right. Eventually.”

He left it at that. Roman could tell he didn’t want to linger on the subject.

“So you know this Remy well?” he asked after an awkward pause.

Logan bit his tongue. “I… yes. We are… close.”

Roman raised his eyebrows. “Close? Do tell.”

“I’m going to regret telling you this, aren’t I?” Logan muttered, almost to himself.

Turning to Roman, he continued. “They’re my QPP.”

Roman frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember what his brother had taught him about relationships.

“QPP… you mean like, your queerplatonic partner?”

Logan nodded. “Yes.”

Roman’s face lit up. “Dude, that’s awesome! Congrats.”

“Thank you.” Logan couldn’t hide the slight smile that forced its way onto his face. It was nice to finally tell someone, especially getting such a positive reaction.

“You’re not… afraid to romance someone with a QPP, are you?” Logan asked after a moment.

“What? Of course not!” Roman sputtered.

Then, as if he had suddenly gained a thousand times more confidence, he added, “Especially not when it’s someone as stunning as you.”

“Pfft,” Logan muttered, hiding his face.

Roman protested. “Aw, come _on_ . I _just_ admitted that you look absolutely _ravishing_ , and then you try to hide your beauty.”

Logan swatted his hand at Roman, but uncovered his face. “The flirting must be a Remy thing,” he mumbled.

Roman couldn’t stop the gasp from escaping his lips at the sight of Logan’s adorably flushed face; Logan’s lips twitched into a teasing smile.

“Like what you see?” he teased.

“I— maybe?” Roman squeaked. “How screwed am I if I say yes?”

Logan rolled his eyes, and Roman scoffed.

The haughty silence didn’t last long. Neither of them could help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“Let’s walk a little faster,” Logan suggested, reaching for Roman’s hand.

He dragged Roman along at a quicker pace, which Roman hardly even minded; Logan Berry was holding his hand. _Again_.

__

Sure enough, they made it to Remy’s apothecary before nightfall.

Logan knocked on the door. A kid dressed in a black robe and white socks answered the door.

Upon seeing Logan, their eyes lit up. “Logan!” they yelled, excitedly wrapping their arms around the scribe. “You’re back? How long? Gods, it’s good to see you, babes.”

“It’s good to see you too, Rem,” Logan murmured, resting his chin on the other kid’s head. “I don’t know how long I’ll be back- I actually brought a friend. He needs help.”

Remy pulled away from Logan and looked to Roman, eyes widening.

“…Logan, you never told me you were friends with the prince,” they muttered accusingly.

Roman paled, cursing his naivety to think that he wouldn’t be recognized.

Logan just scoffed. “Rem, you’ve lost your marbles.”

Shaking their head, Remy studied Roman. “I’m serious, Lo. That’s Roman. _Prince_ Roman.”

It was silent for a moment, and Remy sighed.

“Just… come in, first. We can talk over a brew or two.”


	3. Chapter 3

Remy poured three cups of a dark brown potion that matched their eyes. Roman glanced at it hesitantly.

“It’s coffee,” Remy explained. “Brew of coffee beans, water, and some secret ingredients of my own. It wards off sleep.”

Roman nodded and brought the cup to his lips.

Logan took it from him before he could get a taste.

“Hey,” Roman protested.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “You're holding a cup of black coffee,” he explained. “ _ I _ drink it black, but you don’t seem like the type to like something so bitter.”

Roman relented. “Fine.”

Logan nodded, then added something else to the drink.

He handed it back, then walked over to the kitchen.

Roman tried it.

“Mmm,” he hummed, addressing Remy. “This is  _ really _ good.”

Remy smiled knowingly, casting a glance at Logan, who was busying himself grabbing a tray of cheese and crackers. “He  _ does _ know how to make things sweeter, doesn’t he?”

Roman got a feeling Remy wasn’t just talking about coffee.

“Yes,” he agreed softly. “He sure does.”

__

“So… you’re the prince?” Logan asked, sitting down between Roman and Remy.

Roman squirmed. “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t?

“No,” Logan said slowly, “but I wanted to hear it from you.”

“Then yes. I’m Prince Roman.”

No one spoke for a moment. Remy sipped loudly at their coffee.

Logan glared at them, then turned back to Roman. “So… I’m in the royal court, and I’m courting royalty?”

Roman felt his face burn. “ _ Logan _ .”

“I like word association games, okay?” Logan said defensively.

He suddenly stopped. “Wait. You’re the only prince, but you’ve got a brother… what happened?”

Remy spit out their coffee.

“How the  _ hell _ do you know about Remus?” they demanded.

Roman gaped.  _ How the hell did  _ Remy _ know about Remus? _ he wondered, looking from Logan to Remy, then back to Logan.

Logan’s lips were pursed, as if he were wondering the same thing. “I think the real question is how do  _ you _ ?”

Remy scoffed and set down their coffee.

“Do you want me to start from the beginning?

Roman nodded. “Please.”

“Uh… one thing. I need  _ explicit _ royal approval before I can say anything.”

“Oh, right. Ahem. I, Crown Prince Roman Sanders, hereby give you royal approval to tell us  _ everything _ .”

Remy nodded, then cleared their throat. “It was three years ago…”

__

_ It was three years ago. _

_ Remy had been brought in as a second opinion. _

_ The royal family was experiencing ‘difficulties’ with their son, Remus. _

_ They had already been wary of having twin princes; the throne could only go to one of them, and they didn’t want the princes to have to fight it out. That would only put the kingdom at risk of turmoil. _

_ No one outside of the royal family knew about the twins. Only one twin was allowed out at a time, so that no suspicion would be raised. _

_ It wouldn’t do to have rumors spreading. _

_ But then Remus had experienced a few ‘meltdowns,’ and the King and Queen saw an opportunity. _

_ What better excuse to rid themselves of a son than declaring him insane? _

_ They brought in a royal advisor by the name of Emile, his apprentice, Patton, and a witch called Remy. _

_ Remy was able to confirm that there was no curse on Remus. To be honest, they weren’t sure why they had even been asked. _

_ And then Emile told the King and Queen that Remus had schizophrenia. _

_ He explained to them that it wasn’t a bad thing, and that they just had to provide him with the right resources to help— _

_ But for some reason, they didn’t listen to Emile. Instead, they offered him a hefty sum of money and asked him to take care of Remus at an estranged manor, under the pretense that Remus was the lunatic child of a minor duke. _

_ When Emile refused the offer and pressed for them to simply provide him with the care that he needed, they issued a royal decree forcing him into agreement. _

_ He gave Patton the option to go with him and continue studying, but Patton declined. That wasn’t the life for him, he decided. He wanted to become a baker. _

_ Remy was sent back to their apothecary with quite a bit of funds in order to ensure his silence. _

_ So they didn’t say anything. But it didn’t take long for them to wonder if they  _ should _. _

__

_ The next time they met was two years ago. Remus had fallen ill after an incident with magic, and, since he was babbling about being a prince, there was no one else that Emile could call to help. _

_ Remy was able to brew an antidote, thankfully. They got a kiss on the cheek from Emile for that one… _

_ So they started visiting the manor more often. Secretly, of course. They found little magical favors to do, and things to help out with around the place. _

_ Eventually, they got their kiss on the lips. Now  _ that’s  _ a story— _

__

Logan cleared his throat. “ _ Remy _ .”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

Roman noted that they did  _ not _ sound very sorry.

“Anyways that’s the story of how Emile and I started dating… and also how I know Remus.”

It was quiet for a moment before Roman spoke.

“So my parents… my parents were  _ trying _ to get rid of him?”

Remy’s expression softened. “Yeah. Yeah, they were. I’m sorry, Ro.”

“It’s _Prince_ _Roman_ to you,” Roman snapped, lacking conviction.

Remy ignored him. “Emile’s been good for him, though. He’s coping with it all fairly well.”

“I know. We talk.”

Remy paused. “You… talk?”

“Letters, mostly. Sometimes I can hear his voice in my head.”

Remy stood up and cursed. “Oh  _ hell _ no. No, no,  _ no _ . No. This  _ cannot _ be happening.”

__

_ The boy knocked on the apothecary door late into the night. _

_ Any other witch would have been sleeping— but Remy was hardly any other witch. _

_ “You’re lucky I’m sleep deprived,” they muttered as they opened the door. The boy slid in and helped himself to a bowl of candies. _

_ “I need a custom potion.” _

_ Remy groaned. Sure, it was their job, but  _ still _. Why did they have to get clients? _

_ “What sort? Be specific, please.” _

_ “Oh, trust me. I’ll be plenty specific. I need two brews of a potion that’ll allow for long distance telepathic communication and influence.” _

_ “Can I have a name for that order?” Remy deadpanned. _

_ “You can have the name ‘Deceit.’” _

_ “What, you think I’m Fae?” _

_ Deceit looked them up and down, then shook his head. “No, I don’t think you are. But giving names to  _ anyone _ can be dangerous. You’re a witch, you should know; how many curses need a name to work?” _

_ “Mm, I guess.” They glanced quickly at their notebook. “I’ll have the potions ready by the end of the month, since it’s gonna require some ingredients I don’t have yet. But it’s gonna cost quite a bit, especially for the possibly shady morals of the purchase…” _

_ Deceit laughed. “We both know you don’t care about the morals of anything— as long as it doesn’t affect you, you’re more than happy to let things take their course. Don’t worry, though. Money isn’t an issue.” _

_ He had made himself comfortable on the couch, smirking as he watched Remy exhaustedly retrieve components of the soon-to-be potion. _

_ And that was that. _

__

Logan sighed. “Remy, you  _ idiot _ .”

“Remy,  _ your _ idiot,” Remy countered.

“Did you ever learn his name?” Roman asked impatiently.

“No. But I think you might have.”

Roman frowned. “Me? How would I have learned his name?”

“In order for him to be close enough to you to administer the potion… I would assume you weren’t allowed too many friends, as the crown prince, so you likely snuck out a bit, right?”

Roman flinched. He had snuck out more than just a bit, but he had always come back— at least, until now.

_ I guess there’s a first time for everything. _

“Yeah,” he admitted after a second.

“Did you have any friends that knew Remus?”

“I… yes, actually. One.”

“Tell me about him.”

_ Could Ethan really be ‘Deceit?’ _ Roman wondered.  _ Surely not… _

“Uh, let's see… He’s taller than me. I think about as tall as Logan? He’s got a birthmark on one half of his face, which my brother thinks is totally cute. And he likes to wear black and yellow— black makes it easier to sneak around the palace grounds without getting caught, and yellow’s his favorite color. Oh, and he just about always wears a bowler hat, even though it’s totally out of fashion.”

Remy grimaced. “That sounds  _ exactly _ like Deceit. So… what’s his name?”

Something in Roman hesitated. If Ethan had gone out of his way to avoid giving his name to Remy, then what right did Roman have to violate that? He had known Remy and Logan for less than a day, but Ethan had been his best friend— after Remus, of course— since  _ childhood _ .

“If… If he didn’t tell you, then I don’t want to be the one who does. Sorry. But I know how to find him. Could give Logan and I directions to the manor.”

Remy and Logan shared a look, and, after a moment, Logan nodded slowly. “That’s fair. We’ll leave in the morning to find him. For now, let’s get some rest.”


	4. Chapter 4

“This is the guest room, Roman. It’s all yours, for tonight. Remy and I are right next door if you need anything.”

Roman smiled graciously. “Thanks, Lo.”

“Of course. Anytime.”

Logan walked quickly out of the room, and Roman fell back onto the bed.

It didn’t take long for sleep to claim him.

__

He woke up in the middle of the night, as usual. His internal clock knew that it was the only time he would have entirely to himself.

Not wanting to wake Logan or Remy, he carefully made his way to the living room.

“Roman? Is that you?”

“Logan!“ Roman yelped. ”Uh, yeah, it’s me. Why’re you up?”

“Remy rolled over and accidentally pushed me off the bed. I didn’t want to wake them up, so I came in here.”

“Hmph. You could’ve always gotten in bed with  _ me _ .”

Logan scoffed to cover his laughter, and Roman suddenly realized what he had said.

“I meant to  _ sleep _ . Not… my  _ gods _ , curse your dirty mind, Logan.”

“Pfft. But, uh, it’s okay. I don’t want to disturb your princely beauty sleep.”

“Oh,  _ trust _ me. You can’t disturb it more than it’s already been disturbed. Plus, I think I might be able to actually go back to sleep if I’ve got company.”

Logan hesitated. “Are you sure?”

Roman nodded with a certainty that Logan couldn’t bring himself to question.

“Alright,” he mumbled, feeling his face heat up.

He followed Roman back to the guest bedroom and stiffly laid down beside him.

“Goodnight, my prince.”

“Goodnight, my sweet.”

__

Logan woke up to both of Roman’s arms wrapped around his waist.

He didn’t mind; that is to say, he almost liked it. It showed that Roman was comfortable with him— something he never would’ve dreamed of.

A playful and pretty prince, comfortable with  _ him _ , the clumsy and unemotional scribe?

Yeah, okay,  _ sure _ .

But here they were. Logan tried to suppress his smile, but it shone through anyway. He closed his eyes and forced himself to try to go back to sleep. There was no way he was going to get up and ruin this.

__

An hour later, Roman woke up to both of his arms wrapped around Logan’s waist.

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to question it. Instead, he would savor it. Just for a few minutes more.

“You awake?” Logan asked after a little while.

Roman hesitated. Maybe if he didn’t say anything, Logan would assume he was asleep and let him continue sleeping.

But then again, maybe Logan  _ wouldn’t _ fall for it.

_ It would be better to play it safe _ , Roman decided after a moment.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, nuzzling into Logan’s chest.

He felt Logan stop breathing for a moment, as if his breath had been hitched in his throat.

“Do you, uh… want to get up?”

Roman heard the flustered tint to Logan’s words and immediately perked up. He  _ liked _ being the one to tease and flirt. This would be his turn.

“Mm… not really,” he murmured innocently. ”Why? Do you, Lo?”

“Um… no-it’s-okay.”

As Logan’s words came out rushed and altogether, Roman grinned.

This was going to be  _ fun _ .

Roman yawned and scooted closer. “Mkay.”

Logan stiffened for a moment, then melted into Roman’s touch. “You’re quite casual with physical contact, aren’t you?” he muttered.

“Not really,” Roman admitted. “I barely ever even get handshakes, much less hugs or cuddles. I wish I did— maybe then I’d be more comfortable with it.”

“So why are you so touchy with me?”

Logan’s query seemed addressed to himself, more of a pondering than anything else, but Roman decided to answer it anyway.

“It feels natural with you.”

Logan froze. “It… does? Feel natural? With  _ me _ , of all people?”

“What do you mean, ‘you of all people?’” Roman asked defensively.

“I’m just… not the easiest person to be around. Much less be touchy with.”

Roman pulled his arms from around Logan and propped himself up so that his nose was pressed against Logan’s.

“You, sir, are  _ so _ easy to be around, and  _ anyone _ who says otherwise has no taste whatsoever.”

Roman bit back a smile as he watched Logan’s face flush.

“You saying you have good taste?”

“Oh, trust me, I have the  _ best _ taste in guys.”  _ Which is why I hate myself. _

Fuck _.  _ Where had that come from? Sure, it was true enough, but he had never— he had never  _ acknowledged _ it before.

Logan seemed to notice Roman’s change in demeanor, and he quickly reached for his cheek.

Cupping the side of Roman’s face, Logan smiled softly.

“Roman, let's be honest, you don’t have very good taste. You know how I know? Because I do have good taste. I only choose the best of the best. That’s you, Roman.”

Roman closed his eyes and let out a strangled sob, then fell back onto Logan’s chest.

He mumbled something to himself, with no intention of letting Logan hear.

But Logan heard. Logan heard and it broke his heart, because he  _ knew _ Roman was wrong. Roman  _ had _ to be wrong.

“You made a mistake choosing me.”

He pulled Roman closer and wrapped his arms around him.

“I don’t make mistakes, Roman,” he muttered adamantly, “but if I did, my only mistake would be not choosing you sooner.”

__

They lounged in bed for longer than they probably should have.

Logan decided it was worth it, though, because Roman seemed to be feeling better once they finally did get up. Or maybe he had just gotten better at pretending.

The thought terrified Logan. It was clear that Roman had some self-esteem issues, but he was also raised to hide any weakness, including his less than ideal self-worth. If he hid his insecurity, then how was Logan supposed to help him?

Logan shuddered. Not only was he worried about Roman, but also… he had only known Roman for a couple  _ days _ , and already he was creating a concept of a future for them. A future where Logan helped Roman through his insecurities, a future where they slept in together regularly, a future where Roman teased him and he teased back, a future where they might watch the stars…

It was stupid. Incredibly stupid, especially for Logan. Roman was a prince; once he was done with attaining his objective, he would return to the palace and things would go back to normal.

Including his and Logan’s previously nonexistent relationship.

The mere possibility made Logan distressed. He drummed his fingers on the kitchen counter, and Remy chuckled.

“Lo, you good there? Gonna drum right through the wood if you keep that up.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” It wasn’t quite a lie; he  _ was _ fine. Once he lost Roman, however… that would be a different story.

“What’re you worried about?” Remy asked after a moment.

Logan paused before answering, checking that Roman was still in the living room.

“Roman is a  _ prince _ , Remy. A prince with self-esteem issues and no support system whatsoever. I want to help him, and I think I  _ can _ , but not if he shuts me out as soon as we’re back in the palace.”

Remy scoffed. “What makes you think he’s going to shut you out?”

“It’s the logical assumption. He is a prince, with princely duties; as soon as we return to the palace, I will be a mere scribe again. He’s not going to continue his association with me after that.”

“Babe, trust me. That prince has got it  _ bad _ for you, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Not even once you’re back in the palace.”

Logan nodded, still uncertain.

From the other room, Roman sighed loudly. “We should probably head out if we want to make it before lunch.”

Logan glanced rough Remy, who gave him an encouraging nod.

“Sounds good, Roman,” he called, swallowing his nerves.

Remy quickly tossed Logan a packed bag, which Logan assumes held provisions and supplies.

Before he could check, though, Roman grabbed his hand and pulled him it the front door.

“Farewell, Remy!” Roman called. Remy waved from the doorstep.

“Goodbye Roman, goodbye Logan! Love you!”

Logan, still being pulled along by Roman, smiled in spite of himself. “Love you too, Rem.”


	5. Chapter 5

“This is the guest room, Roman. It’s all yours, for tonight. Remy and I are right next door if you need anything.”  
Roman smiled graciously. “Thanks, Lo.”  
“Of course. Anytime.”  
Logan walked quickly out of the room, and Roman fell back onto the bed.  
It didn’t take long for sleep to claim him.  
__  
He woke up in the middle of the night, as usual. His internal clock knew that it was the only time he would have entirely to himself.  
Not wanting to wake Logan or Remy, he carefully made his way to the living room.  
“Roman? Is that you?”  
“Logan!“ Roman yelped. ”Uh, yeah, it’s me. Why’re you up?”  
“Remy rolled over and accidentally pushed me off the bed. I didn’t want to wake them up, so I came in here.”  
“Hmph. You could’ve always gotten in bed with me.”  
Logan scoffed to cover his laughter, and Roman suddenly realized what he had said.  
“I meant to sleep. Not… my gods, curse your dirty mind, Logan.”  
“Pfft. But, uh, it’s okay. I don’t want to disturb your princely beauty sleep.”  
“Oh, trust me. You can’t disturb it more than it’s already been disturbed. Plus, I think I might be able to actually go back to sleep if I’ve got company.”  
Logan hesitated. “Are you sure?”  
Roman nodded with a certainty that Logan couldn’t bring himself to question.  
“Alright,” he mumbled, feeling his face heat up.  
He followed Roman back to the guest bedroom and stiffly laid down beside him.  
“Goodnight, my prince.”  
“Goodnight, my sweet.”  
__  
Logan woke up to both of Roman’s arms wrapped around his waist.  
He didn’t mind; that is to say, he almost liked it. It showed that Roman was comfortable with him— something he never would’ve dreamed of.  
A playful and pretty prince, comfortable with him, the clumsy and unemotional scribe?  
Yeah, okay, sure.  
But here they were. Logan tried to suppress his smile, but it shone through anyway. He closed his eyes and forced himself to try to go back to sleep. There was no way he was going to get up and ruin this.  
__  
An hour later, Roman woke up to both of his arms wrapped around Logan’s waist.  
He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to question it. Instead, he would savor it. Just for a few minutes more.  
“You awake?” Logan asked after a little while.  
Roman hesitated. Maybe if he didn’t say anything, Logan would assume he was asleep and let him continue sleeping.  
But then again, maybe Logan wouldn’t fall for it.  
It would be better to play it safe, Roman decided after a moment.  
“Yeah,” he mumbled, nuzzling into Logan’s chest.  
He felt Logan stop breathing for a moment, as if his breath had been hitched in his throat.  
“Do you, uh… want to get up?”  
Roman heard the flustered tint to Logan’s words and immediately perked up. He liked being the one to tease and flirt. This would be his turn.  
“Mm… not really,” he murmured innocently. ”Why? Do you, Lo?”  
“Um… no-it’s-okay.”  
As Logan’s words came out rushed and altogether, Roman grinned.  
This was going to be fun.  
Roman yawned and scooted closer. “Mkay.”  
Logan stiffened for a moment, then melted into Roman’s touch. “You’re quite casual with physical contact, aren’t you?” he muttered.  
“Not really,” Roman admitted. “I barely ever even get handshakes, much less hugs or cuddles. I wish I did— maybe then I’d be more comfortable with it.”  
“So why are you so touchy with me?”  
Logan’s query seemed addressed to himself, more of a pondering than anything else, but Roman decided to answer it anyway.  
“It feels natural with you.”  
Logan froze. “It… does? Feel natural? With me, of all people?”  
“What do you mean, ‘you of all people?’” Roman asked defensively.  
“I’m just… not the easiest person to be around. Much less be touchy with.”  
Roman pulled his arms from around Logan and propped himself up so that his nose was pressed against Logan’s.  
“You, sir, are so easy to be around, and anyone who says otherwise has no taste whatsoever.”  
Roman bit back a smile as he watched Logan’s face flush.  
“You saying you have good taste?”  
“Oh, trust me, I have the best taste in guys.” Which is why I hate myself.  
Fuck. Where had that come from? Sure, it was true enough, but he had never— he had never acknowledged it before.  
Logan seemed to notice Roman’s change in demeanor, and he quickly reached for his cheek.  
Cupping the side of Roman’s face, Logan smiled softly.  
“Roman, let's be honest, you don’t have very good taste. You know how I know? Because I do have good taste. I only choose the best of the best. That’s you, Roman.”  
Roman closed his eyes and let out a strangled sob, then fell back onto Logan’s chest.  
He mumbled something to himself, with no intention of letting Logan hear.  
But Logan heard. Logan heard and it broke his heart, because he knew Roman was wrong. Roman had to be wrong.  
“You made a mistake choosing me.”  
He pulled Roman closer and wrapped his arms around him.  
“I don’t make mistakes, Roman,” he muttered adamantly, “but if I did, my only mistake would be not choosing you sooner.”  
__  
They lounged in bed for longer than they probably should have.  
Logan decided it was worth it, though, because Roman seemed to be feeling better once they finally did get up. Or maybe he had just gotten better at pretending.  
The thought terrified Logan. It was clear that Roman had some self-esteem issues, but he was also raised to hide any weakness, including his less than ideal self-worth. If he hid his insecurity, then how was Logan supposed to help him?  
Logan shuddered. Not only was he worried about Roman, but also… he had only known Roman for a couple days, and already he was creating a concept of a future for them. A future where Logan helped Roman through his insecurities, a future where they slept in together regularly, a future where Roman teased him and he teased back, a future where they might watch the stars…  
It was stupid. Incredibly stupid, especially for Logan. Roman was a prince; once he was done with attaining his objective, he would return to the palace and things would go back to normal.  
Including his and Logan’s previously nonexistent relationship.  
The mere possibility made Logan distressed. He drummed his fingers on the kitchen counter, and Remy chuckled.  
“Lo, you good there? Gonna drum right through the wood if you keep that up.”  
“Yeah, I’m fine.” It wasn’t quite a lie; he was fine. Once he lost Roman, however… that would be a different story.  
“What’re you worried about?” Remy asked after a moment.  
Logan paused before answering, checking that Roman was still in the living room.  
“Roman is a prince, Remy. A prince with self-esteem issues and no support system whatsoever. I want to help him, and I think I can, but not if he shuts me out as soon as we’re back in the palace.”  
Remy scoffed. “What makes you think he’s going to shut you out?”  
“It’s the logical assumption. He is a prince, with princely duties; as soon as we return to the palace, I will be a mere scribe again. He’s not going to continue his association with me after that.”  
“Babe, trust me. That prince has got it bad for you, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Not even once you’re back in the palace.”  
Logan nodded, still uncertain.  
From the other room, Roman sighed loudly. “We should probably head out if we want to make it before lunch.”  
Logan glanced rough Remy, who gave him an encouraging nod.  
“Sounds good, Roman,” he called, swallowing his nerves.  
Remy quickly tossed Logan a packed bag, which Logan assumes held provisions and supplies.  
Before he could check, though, Roman grabbed his hand and pulled him it the front door.  
“Farewell, Remy!” Roman called. Remy waved from the doorstep.  
“Goodbye Roman, goodbye Logan! Love you!”  
Logan, still being pulled along by Roman, smiled in spite of himself. “Love you too, Rem.”


	6. Chapter 6

“So, Roman, what’s your favorite color?”

Roman gave Logan a funny look. “It’s green. Why do you ask?”

“I thought it would be ideal for us to get to know one another better. I would like to know the intricacies about you, the trivial things that most people wouldn’t know.”

Logan paused. “But if you don’t want to, that’s okay. I am just a scribe, after all.”

“Why would your being a scribe discourage me from getting to know you?” Roman asked sincerely.

“You’re a prince,” Logan said bluntly. “Princes don’t get to know scribes.”

“Pfft. They’ve never met you, then.”

Logan flushed. “I— what’s your favorite snack?”

“Logan-berry jam,” Roman responded without hesitation.

It took both of them a moment to process what he had said.

“Oh my  _ gods _ , I didn’t mean it like— well, you know what, I take that back, I  _ absolutely _ mean it like that.”

An incredibly flustered Logan swatted playfully at Roman’s arm.

“Oh, hush.”

__

They arrived on the outskirts of the manor grounds before noon, just as they had hoped.

“What now?” Logan whispered.

Roman grinned. “Now we knock.”

He reached forward to do just that, but before he could, a screech behind him made him turn around.

“ _ Romulus? _ ”

Roman spun around. “ _ Remus? _ ”

They met eyes, and at the same time, in the same quiet and uncertain voice, asked, “Is that you?”

Logan watched open-mouthed as realization dawned on the two brothers’ faces. They raced towards each other, meeting in an overjoyed hug.

“I missed you, Ro,” Remus whined into his shoulder. Roman— no,  _ Romulus _ — smiled. 

_ Roman _ was a figment of their parents’ delusions;  _ Roman _ was the perfect son that swallowed his pain and smiled from spite.  _ Roman _ could have been either of the twins; it had just been Romulus that had been ‘lucky’ enough to be kept, while Remus was cast aside like an old toy.

Romulus scowled.  _ Why wasn’t it me?  _ he wondered sourly.

Remus had always been so much…  _ better _ than him. It was unfair to them both for Romulus to be the crown prince.

But there was nothing to be done about it at the moment, so Romulus settled for tightening the hug.

“I missed you too, Re.”

__

“You two hungry?” Remus asked when he and Romulus finally let each other go.

Romulus nodded quickly. “You bet we are. I’ve barely eaten all day.”

Logan bit back a smirk and decided not to mention the three separate snack breaks they had on the way to the manor.

“How about you, Specs?”

“Hm?” Logan hummed, curiously glancing around. “Me?”

Remus scoffed. “Do you see any other nerds around?”

Logan looked pointedly at Romulus. “Just one,” he decided after a moment.

Scoffs quickly turned into laughter, and Logan felt… strangely accomplished that he has reduced the goofy green prince to such genuine laughter.

“What’s your name, Specs? I don’t think Romulus told me.”

“My name’s Logan. I’m Romulus’s…”

He hesitated. Could he call himself Romulus’s friend? What was he to the prince?

“He’s my date,” Romulus finished for him. “Surprise, I’m gay.”

Remus let out a shriek of laughter. “Surprise?  _ Surprise?  _ Dude, you’ve always been as straight as a circle. The only surprise is that you’re just figuring it out now.”

Logan spun around to face Romulus. “You didn’t know you were gay?”

“Until recently,” Romulus admitted, blushing fiercely. “About a month ago.”

“ _ Wow _ .”

Romulus nodded. “Yeah. Running into you might not of been my gay awakening, but it sure as hell was my gay reminder.”

Logan squeaked, then cleared his throat. “I mean— I should hope so. Romulus.”

“How long have you known you were gay?” Remus asked curiously.

Logan squinted. “Three years, I think?”

The twins shared a look.

“Lo,” Romulus started carefully, “did your parents kick you out when they found out?”

“I— yes, he did. How did you know? Why do you ask?”

Remus took an involuntary step back, and Romulus sighed. “I  _ thought _ you looked familiar. Those  _ eyes… _ ”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Remus cleared his throat, then recited:

“ _ Gay for three years known _

_ And then without a home. _

_ With the smudges on his face  _

_ And the sleepless witch’s place. _

_ And his deep blue eyes _

_ That mesmerize _

_ He will destroy the throne. _ ”

Logan frowned. “What is this from?”

Roman gestured vaguely towards Remus. “He gets prophecies sometimes.”

“Romulus,” Remus whispered, “you’re the crown prince. ‘He will destroy the throne,’ remember? He’s not safe to be around.”

Romulus looked to Logan, who suddenly seemed incredibly distant for someone standing a mere few feet away.

“Maybe he will,” Romulus said dismissively, “but I trust him. He wouldn’t hurt me.” He paused thoughtfully. “But if he did, I would probably thank him.”

Remus groaned. “Ro, this isn’t a joke. Just because you’ve got the hots for him does  _ not  _ mean that he’s not going to—”

“I’m not going to hurt Romulus.”

Remus turned to Logan and frowned. “I don’t trust you,” he said bluntly, “but Romulus does, and I respect my brother’s decisions. You will be allowed to stay, but you are not to be alone in the manor. Emile will be keeping an  _ incredibly _ close eye on you.”

Logan looked to Romulus, eyebrows raised.  _ Do I tell him that I’m Emile’s partner’s partner? _ he seemed to be asking.

Romulus shook his head.  _ No. He doesn’t need to know. _

“I’ll accompany Logan to his quarters so we can change for lunch,” Romulus announced.

Remus waved his hand dismissively. “Sounds good. I’ll help Emile finish making lunch. We’re going to need a lot more food, especially since we have so much to catch up on.”


	7. Chapter 7

“I’m sorry about him,” Romulus apologized. “He means well, I swear, he’s just… protective, I guess. And suspicious. I mean, our own parents tried to get rid of him, so bear that in mind—”

Logan cut Romulus off with a quick kiss on the lips. Romulus felt as though his heart stopped for a split second as he tried to process the soft lips pressed against his own.

“Thank you,” Logan mumbled quietly, his lips still in dangerous proximity to Romulus’s.

Romulus could feel Logan’s breath on his lips. Somewhere inside him, a voice whispered,  _ Kiss him! Kiss him! _

But another voice took over with a simple command:  _ Don’t. _

Romulus chided himself. He shouldn’t have gotten caught up in the moment; surely Logan didn’t really want this, didn’t really want  _ him _ .

Why should he?

Romulus forced himself to focus on the audible conversation rather than his internal one.

“Thank  _ me _ ? What for?” he asked breathily.

“Defending me. You didn’t have to, but you did. I appreciate… I appreciate that you think I’m worth it.”

Despite himself, Romulus sighed dreamily. “Gods, Logan, you’re worth so much more.”

“Oh, shut up,” Logan mumbled. Romulus sounded so genuine that it was  _ scary _ to Logan.

_ The higher a pedestal people put you on, the farther you have to fall. _

And the last thing Logan wanted was to fall off of Romulus’s pedestal. Gods, Romulus made him  _ feel _ things.

Romulus smirked and raised his eyebrows. “Make me.”

Logan felt a smile tug at the ends of his lips as he closed his eyes and leaned in.

His hands made their way into Romulus’s hair and he ran his fingers through it with a certain satisfaction.

_ He’s  _ my  _ prince, _ he thought smugly as he pushed Romulus against the wall.

_ …wait. Where had  _ that _ come from? _

He scrunched his nose and kissed Romulus more fiercely. He needed some time away from his thoughts; he couldn’t always be expected to smart and analytical.

_ Sometimes, _ he thought, sinking into Romulus, _ I need to be allowed to be emotional. _

A giddy hum escaped Romulus’s lips, sending a shiver of electricity down Logan’s spine. He tugged at Romulus’s hair, angling his head just right…

For a brief moment, Logan pulled back. “This is alright?” he asked carefully.

Romulus grinned and licked his lips, glancing back and forth between Logan’s eyes and lips. “More than.”

That was all Logan needed to hear. He pressed his lips back against Romulus’s, and, with the careful precision that Logan always seemed to manage, he slipped his tongue into Romulus’s mouth.

He wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he had been expecting, but he was fairly sure it wasn’t the one he got.

Romulus made a noise— a groan of annoyance, perhaps?— then pulled away.

Logan flinched. “My apologies, Romulus, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just thought—”

“Could you… could we try that again?” Romulus asked, eyes avoidant but bright.

Logan faltered. “You… you  _ liked _ it?”

“How screwed am I if I say yes?” Romulus teased.

Logan scoffed and pinned him to the wall.

“You have soft hair,” he mused, toying with Romulus’s reddish brown curls.

Romulus closed his eyes. “Oh, shut up and kiss me, Lo.”

Logan raised his eyebrows and leaned in. “Is that an order?”

Romulus slid his hands around Logan’s waist. “You’d better believe it.”

Logan grinned. After all, who was he to deny his prince?

__

“Ro, pass the salt, please,” Remus groaned, stirring his mashed potatoes absently.

Romulus grinned. “You got it, Re.”

He grabbed Logan’s hand and jokingly tossed it towards Remus.

“The salt is too heavy,” Romulus declared as Logan’s hand landed back on the table.

Logan facepalmed, but internally, he felt so… content. Domesticity with Romulus felt so natural. It felt like home.

Remy had brought balance into his life, and now Romulus brought contentment.

In other words, they were both idiots, but they were  _ his _ idiots, and he wasn’t planning on letting them go anytime soon.

“ _ Logan _ ,” Remus tried again, “could  _ you _ please pass the salt?”

Desperate for a chance to prove himself to Remus, Logan nodded quickly. He grabbed the salt shaker and carefully handed it to Remus.

“Thanks.” Remus’s voice didn’t seem nearly as tense as it had before, and Logan from relief.

“Of course.”

There was a quiet moment before Remus sighed. “I’m sorry for being so hostile earlier. I judged you too harshly. I just… Romulus is my brother. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

Logan bit his lip.  _ Are we talking about the prophecy or his love life? _ he was tempted to ask.

Instead, he looked away. “Me neither,” he mumbled, almost to himself. Then he looked up to Remus. “You  _ have _ to believe me when I say that I don’t either. I… I care very deeply for him.”

Remus nodded slowly, with a look of what seemed like… approval? “I believe you, Logan.”

__

After lunch, Emile— who had eaten alone in his study in order to finish the book he had been reading— offered to do the dishes so that the boys would have time to catch up.

The twins gave shouts of protest, saying that they could talk over dishes, but Logan shot them both down.

“Emile and I will do the dishes,” he announced, “and you two will talk.”

Romulus groaned, but Logan shooed him away with a peck on the cheek.

“Go talk with your brother,” he insisted. Romulus sighed dramatically as he turned away, but Logan didn’t fail to notice the gleam in his eyes.

_ Gods, I could get used to seeing that gleam in his eyes. _

It was excited and bubbly and happy; it was upbeat and full of hope.

_ Plus,  _ Logan thought to himself,  _ it just looks so  _ right _ in Romulus’s eyes. _


	8. Chapter 8

“How would you like to catch up?” Remus asked, already knowing what Romulus would say.

“Oh, I’m always a sucker for a good old fashioned game of…”

“Truth or dare?” Remus finished for him.

Romulus grinned. “You know me too well, O brother mine.”

“Truth or dare, Romulus?”

Romulus thought for a moment. “Truth.”

“Have you had your first kiss yet, and, if so, with whom?”

Romulus gasped in mock offense. “That’s  _ two _ questions in a trench coat! Also how  _ dare _ you assume that I, the romantic of us, haven’t had my first kiss.”

Remus grinned. “Is that a yes or a no?” he asked innocently. “I can’t tell.”

Romulus kicked him in the shin. “Rude! From my own brother, too! Mine own flesh and blood! He wounds me, does he not? Aye, with his sharp tongue and saucy words. Zounds! I see the light, that which shines bright like a diamond; it awaits me at the end of the tunnel. Farewell, my foul-smelling brethren, and bid me good night as I go still in the arms of death.”

He pretended to fall back into Remus’s arms, but Remus sidestepped and Romulus stumbled back.

“Hey!” Romulus protested. He brushed himself off, then scowled. “Jerk.”

Remus cackled. “Answer the question, you lily-livered, yellow-bellied toad.”

Biting back a smile, Romulus sighed. “Yes, I’ve had my first kiss.”

“Please tell me it was  _ after _ you realized you were gay,” Remus pleaded. “Or at  _ least _ with a guy.”

Romulus looked horrified. “Of course it was with a guy. I  _ never _ would have willingly kissed a girl, not even in my fake-straight phase.”

Remus let out a prolonged sigh of relief. “Thank the gods of the olden gays.”

Nodding, Romulus clasped his hands together in a praying motion. “Dear Hayley Kiyoko, Freddie Mercury, Hozier, Shakespeare, and Sappho: thank you for making sure my first kiss was a guy.”

Remus cackled. “Alrighty then, brother mine, spill: who was it?”

The softness of Logan’s lips was still fresh in Romulus’s mind, and he mumbled something under his breath.

Remus tapped his foot impatiently. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“It was Logan,” Romulus admitted weakly. “He’s, uh… he’s a really good kisser.”

It was quiet for a moment, and Romulus stiffened. “Remus?”

Remus didn’t answer at first. Instead, he began to shake. Romulus would have worried if he didn’t see the green glow that had begun to dance on the tips of his fingers.

“Another prophecy?” he asked, gulping. It had been years since Remus had made a prophecy.

“ _ The kiss between prince and scribe seals the throne’s destruction. The crown will rest on the prince’s head, until, a lifetime later, he is dead; the scribe will find his way back home, though this time he won’t be alone; the duke will be lost to time, this tragic fact needs no rhyme… but I gave it one anyway. Now it’s time for me to hit the hay. _ ”

Romulus frowned. “Who are you?”

Remus’s body shrugged. “I don’t remember. Thomathy, perhaps? It was a funny name. I was a playwright, you know. Wrote all sorts of scripts and poems and stuff back in my day.”

“How long have you been… dead?”

“Oh, ages,” Thomathy drawled. “It’s awfully tiring. I’m going to go sleep now.”

“Where do you sleep?” Romulus inquired, genuinely curious.

“I don’t know. I just sort of… stop existing in time and space. That’s when I have my dreams.”

Romulus didn’t mean to keep Thomathy up, but he was very intrigued. He had never met a spirit before, after all. “Dreams?”

“Why, yes. Where did you think the prophecies came from?”

“Wait, you dream about the future? Do you know if… do you know if Logan ever hurts me?”

Thomathy tutted and tsked at Romulus. “Don’t trust him, do you?”

Romulus paled. “No, no, I  _ do _ trust him,” he insisted. “I trust him with my life.”

Thomathy frowned. “Then why are you asking me?”

“Because Remus doesn’t!” Romulus snapped haughtily.

Thomathy raised his eyebrow. “Who on earth is Remus?”

Romulus rolled his eyes. “Remus is my absolutely dreadful brother whom I love very much and whose body you are currently borrowing.”

Thomathy surveyed himself. “Oh, I suppose that would make sense. Well, Princey, if you trust Logan so much, then I think you’ll have to let Remus work it out for himself. You can’t just have a spirit rid you of all your problems. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

Romulus nodded sympathetically. “Oh, of course. Enjoy your nap, Thomathy.”

Remus suddenly stopped glowing and rubbed his head drowsily. “Ro, I think we’re going to have to save the truth or dare for later.”

“Why’s that?”

“Emile and Logan,” he said bluntly. “They’ve been kidnapped.”


End file.
